What in the world am I going to do with this ? I placed this H obscura in a larger pot,
with 2 rocks in the bottom, because it was top heavy. Well now the roots have grown
out of the bottom of the pot and are stuck HARD all over this rock ?!?
Any suggestions other than ripping off those gorgeous roots ?
Paula
I would cut down the side of the pot and slowly peel it away from the roots leaving the rocks intact. Then replant into a slightly larger pot that will accomodate the root ball.
Taking another look at the size of the rock ... is it possible to chip some of it away without damaging the roots? If it can't be done, then it might be easier to set the rock in a container of water to soak. Perhaps this will loosen the roots enough to gently ease them away from the rock.
Good luck!
This message was edited Aug 9, 2008 11:38 PM
Wow...gorgeous roots!. I think Cicada has a good suggestion...try to soak the roots off the rock....and if a few are damaged nothing will happen to the plant. Heck...if they are all damaged nothing will happen...I have had a pot growing inside another and when i pulled the inner pot out, out came about 2 feet of roots. Only way to get the plant out of the pot was to cut them off.....
Paula, you are in Hawaii, and so don't have to take the plant in for the winter. Why not leave it as is? I think it looks cool.
Thanks for your suggestions everyone. The water soak sounds interesting. We'll
see what happens.
I was just so shocked to find that much root growth that fast. I didn't expect it at
all !! Maybe I have stumbled onto a way to 'root' cuttings easier for me ?
Paula
You know, Paula, when I have put a river rock on top of the soil of new cuttings (to hold them in place), the roots always form under the rock first and cling to the lower side. Maybe Hoya roots respond to a hard surface- in nature that would maybe help them get a firm grip on their host plant...
I think so. With my next cuttings, I am going to do just that and see how quickly I get roots. Up til now,
the normal method has taken 2-4 weeks for good roots...
Paula
Oh and thanks for the suggestions everyone ! I ended up trying to get some roots off but they
were stuck fast, so I ended up severing them trying to get them off. It didn't seem to hurt the
plant; after all it did have a whole pot full of roots !!
